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Maintaining a wooden floor requires regular waxing. Nothing like it to cleanse it, deeply nourish it and beautify it. Would you rather make your own homemade wax? We offer you 5 wood wax recipes to make yourself, with natural and effective ingredients. Follow the leader.

1 – Beeswax and turpentine: the classic and versatile recipe

The combination of beeswax and turpentine has been used for centuries to nourish and polish wood, but also to care for leather.

• Made from pine resin, turpentineis a versatile product, appreciated as a solvent, stain remover and cleaner.
• Beeswax is an essential natural ingredient for the care of wood, which it nourishes, waterproofs, protects and revives.

How to make classic wax?

Turpentine is a volatile and flammable product, which requires some precautions. Bring gloves and a mask, and sit in a well-ventilated room.

• To prepare this wax, you will need a panand a jar can be closed hermetically.
• The recipe only calls for two ingredients : beeswax and turpentine. Allow 1/3 beeswax to 2/3 turpentine (for example 100 g of wax and 200 g of gasoline).
• Place the beeswax in a jar. Heat the jar to water bath in the pan, to melt the wax gently.
• Once the beeswax has melted, remove the jar of the saucepan.
• Stay away from the fire for the next step, which consists of adding the turpentine. Pour the essence into the wax, directly into the jar.
• Mix both ingredients well. The mixture may take a minute or two to dissolve all the lumps and obtain a creamy consistency.
• Let cool The mixture. Once it is set, the wax is ready. You have just made an economical, natural wax that lasts a long time!

How to use it ?

This wax is used very simply, with a soft cloth (or a brush depending on the texture obtained). It nourishes the wood and makes it shine, while protecting it from possible splashes of water.

• To obtain a perfect result, start by applying the wax with a cloth.
• Leave it on for about two hours.
• Then rub the surface with a clean cloth to remove excess wax.

2 – Beeswax and linseed oil: the special wood formula

The formula we offer combines three ingredients: beeswax, linseed oil and turpentine.

• L'linseed oil is a real asset for wood. It penetrates it deeply and protects it against fungus, humidity and the wear and tear of time. In addition, its antistatic quality prevents dust from settling on the wood. Note, however, that it is better not to use it for the maintenance of exotic woods.
• Turpentine promotes the penetration of linseed oil into the wood. The quantities can be varied depending on the hardness of the wood to be waxed. The harder the wood, the more turpentine is added. If you need to treat soft wood, you can do without it.
• Beeswax nourishes and protects the wood.

How to make linseed oil wax?

Just follow the previous classic recipe. Provide 80 g of beeswax, 40 cl of turpentine and 40 cl of linseed oil. If you want to combine linseed oil and olive oil, reduce the quantities to 20 cl for each oil.

• Start by doing melt beeswax in a jar in a bain-marie.
• Once the melted wax has become liquid, move away from the fire and add in the jar the turpentine and the linseed oil.
• Mix well, to avoid lumps, and let cool. Your wax is ready.

How to use it ?

All that remains is to rub the parquet floor with this natural wax, preferably using a microfiber cloth. The wax acts on all fronts: it nourishes, protects and polishes the wood.

3 – Hot wax with paraffin and lemon: super protective

There paraffin is known as a protective care for leather. But what is good for leather is also good for wood! This ingredient perfectly protects a wooden floor. As to lemon, it plays the same role as turpentine. It pleasantly replaces it thanks to its fresh and vitaminized smell. That being said, you can also make this recipe with paraffin and turpentine.

How to make hot paraffin wax?

The recipe calls for paraffin, water and lemon juice. Bring two pans (one of which is old, which will then have to be thrown away).

• Start by doing melt a tablespoon of paraffin in a bain-marie, for about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, do heat a liter of water.
• When the water is simmering, just before boiling, and the wax is melted, it is time to associate both ingredients. Remove from the heat, pour the liquid paraffin into the hot water.
• Mix both with a spoon to form a homogeneous whole.
• Pour the juice from one lemon in this mixture (or turpentine). Mix again. (If your parquet floor squeaks, add a little bicarbonate soda.)

How to use it ?

The particularity of this recipe is that it must be used while still hot. In this way, it allows you to clean the parquet while covering the wood with a protective film.

• As soon as it is ready, apply the hot wax to the parquet using a cloth.
• Leave to dry (about a quarter of an hour).
• Smooth the wooden surface with a woolen cloth.

4 – Beeswax and sunflower: a nourishing formula

This wax recipe helps protect and polish both parquet floors and wooden furniture. It uses beeswax, sunflower oil and lemon essential oil. In this formula, sunflower oil replaces the traditional turpentine.

• Sunflower oil is particularly nourishing and protective for wooden supports.
• Lemon essential oil disinfects and sanitizes, which your floor may need if it hasn't been cleaned in a while. And then lemon smells good!

How to make sunflower wax?

Here again, the recipe poses no difficulty. Have a saucepan and pot ready to store the final mixture.

• Start by melting the beeswax in a bain-marie. This will take only few minutes.
• Just before the wax is completely melted, add the sunflower oil.
• Mix the two ingredients well, it should be homogeneous.
• Continue to melt the mixture and, when it is well melted, remove it from the heat.
• Remove from the heat, add a few drops of lemon essential oil.
• Mix again. When the mixture is homogeneous, transfer it to a pot.
• Allow to cool before using this wax. Complete cooling may take several hours.

How to use it ?

When applying wax with a cloth, don't use too much. If the wax is too thick, it will not penetrate the wood properly. Just apply a light layer and wait for it to absorb. Sunflower wax is especially suitable for dark woods. Avoid using it on light black, especially if it is untreated, as the wax may cause color variations.

5 – The white vinegar formula: a cleaning recipe

It is possible to prepare a wood wax without adding beeswax. This non-waxy recipe is designed to clean stained or particularly dirty floors. It uses three ingredients: turpentine, white vinegar and a vegetable oil (flax, sunflower, olive or rapeseed for example).

How to make this vinegar and flaxseed oil cleanser?

• You need a jar with a lid.
• In the jar, pour the turpentine and the white vinegar, respecting the following proportions: 2/3 turpentine and 1/3 vinegar.
• Add a glass of flaxseed oil (or vegetable oil of your choice).
• Close the jar and shake it vigorously until the ingredients are well mixed.

Your homemade wax is applied under the same conditions as a traditional wax, that is to say on a clean and healthy parquet floor. There is no question of waxing a varnished or sealed parquet floor, because the wax cannot penetrate it. Apart from this exception, simply apply the wax with a cloth, in small circular movements, and leave to dry for 30 minutes, until it penetrates the wood deeply. You can then rub the waxed wood to polish it with a soft cloth.